Survival Through Knowledge

Menu

Afghan Army Crumbles as Desertions Deplete Ranks

Despite the best efforts of Washington and the Pentagon, the situation in Afghanistan is not going as planned. The Afghan Army is slowly crumbling as desertions mount, and the Taliban continues to make new gains in the country. Among many problems faced by these soldiers is the lack of food, proper medical care, and not receiving pay for months at a time. As one former soldier who deserted put it, “I joined the army so that I could support my family and serve my country, but this is a suicide mission.”

Statistics from 2015 indicate that the Afghan Army is hemorrhaging personnel. About a third of the 170,000 man army has been replaced over the past year due to desertions, casualties, and poor re-enlistment rates. The size of this army has shrunk by roughly 14,000 troops since 2013, even as the US military was pulling out of the country. According to one analyst, “These high turnover issues increase the possibility that when U.S.-led forces leave Afghanistan for good, whenever that is, they will be leaving Afghan forces unable to fend off a still-ferocious insurgency.”

If our military, in conjunction with the corrupt Afghan government, has failed to build a competent army after so many years and so many wasted dollars, there shouldn’t be any doubt about the future of Afghanistan. It’s only a matter of time before the Taliban recaptures the country. They just have to wait for that last contingent of 9,800 US soldiers to go back home, who are only there to keep the country from falling apart while Obama is still in office.

Joshua Krause is a reporter, writer and researcher at The Daily Sheeple. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and is a freelance writer and author. You can follow Joshua’s reports at Facebook or on his personal Twitter. Joshua’s website is Strange Danger .